The field of the disclosure relates to controlling power generation systems, and more particularly to a method for controlling the power output of a wind turbine based upon current machine operating conditions and environmental conditions.
Many known systems include interconnected dynamic elements that change over time, and such systems are known as dynamic systems. One known dynamic system includes wind inflow acting on a wind turbine. Most known wind turbines include a rotor having multiple blades. The rotor is sometimes coupled to a housing, or nacelle, that is positioned on top of a base, for example, a tubular tower. At least some known utility grade wind turbines, i.e., wind turbines designed to provide electrical power to a utility grid, include rotor blades having predetermined shapes and dimensions. The rotor blades transform kinetic wind energy into induced blade aerodynamic forces that further induce a mechanical rotational torque that drives one or more generators that generate electric power. A plurality of wind turbine generators in a localized geographic array is typically referred to as a wind farm or a wind park.
Wind turbines are exposed to large variations in wind inflow, which exerts varying loads to the wind turbine structure, particularly the wind turbine rotor and shaft. In some cases, wind turbine settings may be changed twice per year, once in the summer and once in the winter. However, wind characteristics vary greatly during both of these seasons and a single setting does not optimize annual energy production.